Garter clasp



Oct. 2,7, 1942.

CHENEY GARTER CLASP Filed June 5, 1941 l if!! vlllllll Patented Oct. 27, 1942 GARTER CLASP Ralph, G. Cheney, Tacoma, Wash., assignor to Plastal Specialties Company, a partnership Application June 5, 1941-Seriall No. 396,762v

4 Claims.

This invention relates to ladies garters and has for its object to provide certain new and useful improvements in garter clasps whereby the 'clasp may be convenientlyV engaged with a' stocking top and the clasp will maintain its engagement therewith in a satisfactory manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a neat and attractive and serviceable clasp which will lie flat against the limb of a wearer without oering any unsightly or objectionable projecting portions or angular projections, and which will present a smooth surface, front and back, such as will avoid yirritating the skin of the wearer, and also permit of garments sliding freely and unobstructedly across the clasp.

Another object of the present invention is to obviate the use of exposed metal parts which may damage garments or injure theV flesh of the wearer and which also are subject to objectionable corrosion by beingexposed to Contact with the flesh of the wearer.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it of course being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size` and minor details may be. made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawing- Figure lV is a side elevation of a ladys garter embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an .enlarged sectional view onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1'.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figurev 2, showing a modification.

Figure 4 is a sectional'view illustrating another modification.

Figure 5 is a perspective view'of the outer clasp-member of Figure 4.

Referring at first, more particularly, to Figures 1, 2 and 3, of the drawing, itA will'be seen that the clasp of the present invention includes :a base member I anda clamp member 2, each of which is in the nature of flat' plate. The 'base `member is provided at its front face with a stud or projection 3 which is rounded, preferably circular in cross section so as to present a smooth continuous surface to the stocking, shown at 4, Vwhen held between the members I and 2, the member 2 being providedwith an opening 5 to receive the stud'. The Studis of"a lengthto eX'- tend through the opening 5 and is provided at its outer end with a flange-or lip 6 projecting radially from the stud and downwardly therefrom in the position of use of thedevice when on the person of a wearer. Another flange or lip I may be provided upon the stud and projecting upwardly and of less length than the lip 6. This lip 1 is not essential and may be omitted as shown in Figure 3 which differs from Figure 1 merely in the omission of lip 1. It will here be explained that theV combined length* of lips 6 and 'I and the vertical thickness of the stud 3 is slightly greater than the vertical dimension of the opening 5, for a purpose as will hereinafter be eX- plained. Also the lips 6 and 1 are continuations of and flush with the outer end of the stud and form in eect a head.

The plate member I, its stud 3 and lips or flanges 6 and 'I areintegral, and it is important feature of my invention to form the members I and 2, as by molding, from some thermo-plastic material, whereby the members may be quickly and inexpensively produced, and any predetermined or preferred shape may be given to the A member other than the specific circular shape shown in thedrawing, Plastics in different colors may be employed and variegated coloring may be resorted to. Surface ornamentation may be provided, particularly on the outer face of member 2 which is'exposed to view when the garter is in use, thus enabling the production of a garter clasp of pleasing and attractive shape and with any desired surface ornamentation. Moreover, by molding the members I and 2 from plastic material, smooth and glossy surfaces may be provided upon the members which is important in that such surfaces permit of the ready sliding of clothing across the garter clasp with a minimum of wear upon the clothing and with no liabilityof the clothing being caught'l by the garter clasp and hunched into an unsightly appearance.

For suspending the garter clasp in position for use, the member I is provided with a slot or opening 8 for the reception of the looped portion of a suspending tab or webbing 9. Similarly the member 2 is provided with a transverse slot or opening I0 for the reception of the looped portion of a suspending tab or webbing Il. The upperl ends of the tabs or webbings are to be secured `in some suitable manner to elastic Webbing I2 that in turn is to be suspended from some portion'of the wearers clothing, as is' the common or usual practice.

In* applying' the garter clasp of` the present invention, the stud member I is placed at the inner side of the stocking top 4 with the latter across the outer end of the stud 3, whereupon the clamping member 2 is applied to the outer side of the stocking top, see dotted position Figure 2, tilted or inclined upwardly and outwardly from the stud member with the lower wall portion of the opening back of the lip or ange 6, after which the clamping member 2 is lifted slightly until the top wall of the opening 5 clears the top of the stud, and then the member 2 is tilted or swung backwardly towards the mem-l opposite and in cooperating clamping relation with respect to the boss I3 on member I. 'Ihis groove I5 also provides a marginal flange II1 around the outer periphery of the member.

In the accompanying drawing, the clasp members have been shown as substantially circular in shape, but other shapes are contemplated and it will of course be understood that shape is not necessarily the essence of the invention, although circular, oval or rounded shapes are desirable as they present no projections and no angular parts such as might injure clothing and/or the person of the wearer.

ber 2, such headed end cannot be received axial ly or longitudinally through the opening 5. Assembly of parts I and 2 can be accomplished only by the tilting operation just described. Also the parts I and 2 cannot be separated, except by a definite tilting operation.

The normal downward pull of the stocking on the stud 3 holds the latter at the bottom ofthe opening 5 with the lip B overlapping the front of the member 2, and-'as the members I and 2 are suspended at the upper ends onl-yfrom the tabs or webbing 9 and II, the tendency of the parts I and 2 is to draw together and thus hold the stocking rmly on or about the stud 3. Another way of looking at it is that the downward pull of the stocking on the lower wall of the opening 5 tends to move thev lower portion of the member 2 outwardly and against the lip 6, which latter, of course, will prevent separation .of the clasp members. The clasp may be released by tilting the top end portion of the member l2 outwardly until the top wall portion of the opening 5 has cleared the outer end ofthe stud 3, whereupon the member 2- may be lowered to clear the bottom wall of the opening 5 fromthe lower end of the lip '6 and the membersv I` and 2 may then be separated `and thestocking thus released. Experience has shown, however, that by taking hold of the stocking 4 at opposite upright sides of the clasp, as at A and B, and pulling in opposite directions upon the stocking, clasp members I and 2 will snap out of engagement and the parts may thus be readily and easily separated. It is .believed that this eiect is due to the fact that in pulling the stocking laterally in opposite directions, rthere is a tendency -to straighten out the bend in-the stocking iwhich is formed at the top of the stud 3, and that such tendency to straighten out vertically results in the tilting outwardly of the upper end of member 2 and the separation of the members.

In Figures 4 and 5, a modified form of the invention has been shown, wherein I and 2 designate the respective clasp members. Thestud 3 projects from a .boss I3 provided upon the front of the member I. Otherwise the member is the same as that shown in Figures 2 and 3.v The principal difference in this embodiment of the invention is in the member 2 which is in effect concavo-convex with the concave side at Athe back of the member. An opening 5 in the member is the same as the opening 5 in Figures. 2 and 3, and a counter-sinkv I-4 is provided around the opening l5 and in the frontface of the member, which front face is rounded or convex from the counter-sink to the outer margin ofthe member. In the back of member. 2 is an annular groove or seat I5 surrounding the opening 5 and providing in eiect an annular boss'I'Ii located 75 I have shown each member of the clasp suspended by a tab or webbing, but actual experience has shown that only one of the members need be suspended, the other being entirely free and unconnected to a suspending means. While it is preferred to permanently connect each clasp member to the elastic webbing or garter assembly, so as to prevent loss of the clasp members and to have them always in position for use, either member may be suspended from or connected to the garter assembly and the other may be free and unconnected, and when assembled with the suspended'member anda stocking top in the manner described effective connection of the clasp members with the stocking will take place as when both members are suspended in the garter assembly. Ready separation of the clasp members from a stocking may be accomplished, in the manner herein described, when one member only is suspended as well as when both members are suspended.

While shape is not necessarily of the essence of the present invention, the molded flat plate shape is important, not only from the point of manu-facture, but from the point of appearance and utility, as the plate shape enables the most convenient manipulation when applying and removing the clasp, and also presents a neat, compact and attractive appearance at all times. It gives comfort to the wearer andl presents the least obstruction to the free sliding of clothing across the device.

The length of the diameter or thickness of the stud 3 is verymuch less than the width of the plate portion I, the back of which latter is continuous from center to periphery is just large enough to give a satisfactory bearing against the limb of the wearer 'without discomfort thereto.

Also, it is advantageous to have the members equal or substantially equal in size so that neither will project beyondthe margin of the other, thereby obviating any marginal angles or projections liable to injure the stocking or the wearer.

While I have illustrated and described the present invention as a ladys garter, it will of course be understood that it is capable of use as a hosesupporter for -men and women, and as a supporting clasp of general application.

I claim:

1. A clasp of the character described, comprising a pair of cooperating clasp members of molded thermo-plastic material, said members being in the form of solid and rounded plates of substantially equal size, the front face of one member being provided with an integral-stud circular in cross section and havingV a continuous periphery, the outer end of the stud having an integral radial lip flush-with said outer end and forming a head whose major dimension is less than the width of either of the clasp-members, the back of said member being continuous from center to periphery and forming a continuous bearing for engagement against the limb of the wearer, the other clasp-member having a circuit opening of a size to receive the stud and of a diameter less than the length of the head, each clasp-member having a slot to receive a suspending element, the slot of the stud member being at that side of the stud Which is opposite the lip, and said other clasp-member covering the front of the said one member and having a smooth front face.

2. A clasp of the character described, comprising a pair of cooperating clasp members of molded thermo-plastic material, said members being in the form of solid and rounded plates of substantially equal size, the front face of one member being provided with an integral stud circular in cross section and having a continuous periphery, the outer end of the stud having an integral radial lip flush with said outer end and forming a head Whose major dimension is less than the Width of either of the clasp-members, the back of said member being continuous from center to periphery and forming a continuous bearing for engagement against the limb of the wearer, the other clasp-member having a circular opening of a size to receive the stud and of a diameter less than the length of the head, each clasp-member having a slot to receive a suspending element, the slot of the stud member being at that side of the stud which is opposite the lip, and the outer face of said other clasp-member having a counter-sink surrounding the opening and receiving the head of the stud in the cooperative relation of the members, and said other clasp-member covering the front of the said one member and having a smooth front face.

3. A clasp of the character described, comprising a pair of cooperating clasp-members, said having a :continuous periphery, the outer end of l the stud having an integral radial lip ush With said outer end and forming a head Whose length is less than the width of either of the clasp-mem- A bers, the back of said member being continuous from center to periphery and forming a continous bearing for engagement against the limb of the wearer, the other clasp member having Ian opening of a size to receive the stud and having a dimension less than the length of the head, and said other clasp-member covering the front of the said stud member and having a smooth front iface. i

4. A clasp of the character described, comprising a pair of cooperating clasp-members, said members being in the form of solid flat plates of substantially equal size, the front face of one member being provided with an integral stud having a continuous periphery, the outer end of the stud having an integral radial lip flush with said outer end and forming a head Whose length is less than the width of either of the clasp-members, the back of said member being continuous from center to periphery and forming a continuous bearing for engagement against the limb of the wearer, the other clasp-member having an opening of a size to receive the stud and having a dimension less than the length of the head, and the outer face of said other clasp-member having a counter-sink surrounding the opening and receiving the head of the stud in the cooperative relation of the members, and said other clasp-member covering the front of the said stud member and having a smooth front face.

RALPH G. CHENEY. 

